Vegetable or fruit basket



Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES EDWARD M. SEIFERT, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY.

VEGETABLE OR FRUIT BASKET.

Application filed February 7', 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. Snrrnnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vegetable or Fruit Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vegetable or fruit baskets, and more particularly to means for attaching the top or cover of the basket to the basket in such manner as to render the same rigid to the basket, thereby prei' enting slipping of the top to one side and its consequent movement downwardly into the basket with the result that the contents of the basket are crushed and their value lessened.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may he very readily and cheaply produced, and which may be attached to baskets of a well known construction now employed.

A still further object of the invention is to produce fastenings of this character, one of which is capable of use as a hinge when the cover is opened so that the cover may he left attached to the basket.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a. preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper end of a fruit basket having a cover applied theretoin accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through a fragment of the upper end of thebasket and the closed top, showing one of the fasteners in position for holding the top;

Figure 3 is a similar sectional view showing a. fastener employed as a hinge;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the fastener detached;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the fastener can be swung to one side out of the way.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral indicates the body of a splint basket, and 11 the rim thereof.

In accordance with my invention, the top is provided including a hoop 12 having the same outside diameter as the rim of the basket, this rim being stiffened and the top completed by the addition thereto of crossed braces 13 and li secured at their ends to Serial No. 7,667.

the rim. The ends of the braces 1 1, which are arranged at right angles to one another, are extended beyond the rim, as at 15, to provide ledges. Each of these braces has therethrough a vertical opening 16 in each end thereof just inside of the hoop 12, the ohter faces of these openings coinciding with the outer face of the hoop.

Fasteners 17 are provided, each comprising a U-sha'ped body, the arms 18 of which are spaced a distance equal to the width of the ledges 15. These arms are designed to lie against the outer faces of the rim of the basket and the hoop 12, while the bight portion 19 of the U-shaped member lies flatly upon the upper surface of the ledge 15. This bight portion is provided with a central inwardly directed extension 20, the inner end of which is provided with a down *ardly extending flange 21 adapted to enter the opening 16 and lie against the inner face of the hoop 12. Since this fastener has portions abutting both the inner and outer faces of the hoop, it will be seen that displacement of the fastener with relation to the hoop and in a direction transverse of the hoop will be prevented. The engagement of the arms 18 against the sides of the ledge and of the flange 21 in the opening 16 prevents displacement of the fastener circumferentially of the hoop.

The lower ends of the arms of this fastener are pivotally connected to the basket rim 11. In the present construction the basket rim is provided with pairs of circumferentially spaced staples 22, the staples of each pair being spaced apart a distance similar to the spacing of the arms. One of these arms is permanently pivoted to its staple, as indicated at 23, and the other of the arms is provided with a hooked end 24, the bill of the hook being spaced from the bight portion 19 of the fastener a distance such that it must be sprung into its staple, thus insuring a tightfastening. The hook and permanent fastening 23 are both disposed in the general plane of the outer surface of the rim so that the arms may lie closely against the rim. In the construction of the fastener 17 these are preferably produced from a single length of spring wire, the connection at 23 being produced by forming an eye at. one end of the Wire, the end portion 25 being lapped against the associated arm 18 so that it may be sprung open sufficiently to permit the engagement of the eye with this staple or its disengagement therefrom. With two or four fasteners of this type applied to a basket, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the basket lid is held against either circumferential or transverse movement and very rigid to the basket walls. This serves not only to prevent dislodgment of the basket top but likewise serves to stiffen the upper end of the basket, preventing mashing of the baskets which is a common occurrence in shipping and which always has a disastrous effect upon the contents of the basket.

It will be obvious that the invention as hereinbefore disclosed is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spiritof my invention, and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a basket and a top therefor, the top including a diametrically extending brace the ends of which project beyond the sides of the top and are provided inwardly of the outer wall of the top with openings, retaining elements for the top comprising U-shaped elements arranged at diametrically opposed points upon the hasket and having the ends of the arms thereof pivotally connected with the basket and the bights thereof adapted to seat upon the upper surface of said cross braces, said bight portions having formed thereon a hook for engagement in the adjacent opening of the cross braces.

2. In combination with a basket and a top therefor, the top including a diametrically extending brace the ends of which project beyond the sides of the top and are provided inwardly of the outer wall of the top with openings, retaining elements for the top comprising U-shape'd elements arranged at diametrically opposed points upon the basket and having the ends of the arms thereof ivotally connected with the basket, the iiights thereof adapted to seat upon the upper surface of said cross braces, said bight portions having formed thereon a hook for engagement in the adjacent opening of the cross braces, the pivotal connection between said retaining elements and the basket ineluding eyes carried by the basket, one of said arms being formed at its end with a hook for engagement in the eye, the other of said arms being permanently engaged in its eye.

3. In combination with a basket having a cover including an outer hoop and a diametrically extending brace the ends of which project beyond the hoop, said brace being provided with vertically extending openings immediately adjacent the inner face of the hoop, of a pair of retaining elements pivoted to said basket at diametrically opposed points each comprising a U-shaped member the bight portion of which isadapted to seat upon a projecting end of the brace and the arms of which flatly engage against the outer faces of the upper portion of the basket and the hoop of the top, said bight port-ion having an angular portion paralleling the arms and adapted to extend into the adjacent opening of the cross braces.

l. In combination with a basket having a cover including an outer hoop and a diametrically extending brace the ends of which project beyond the hoop, said brace being provided with vertically extending openings immediately adjacentthe inner face of the hoop, of a pair of retaining elementsp'ivoted to said basket at diametrically opposed points each comprising a U-sliaped member the bight portion of which is adapted to seat upon a projecting end of the brace and the arms of which flatly engage against the outer faces of the upper portion of the basket and the hoop of the top, said bight portion having an angular portion paralleling the arms and adapted to exten'd into the adjace'nt opening of the cross brace, said retaining elements being formed of resilient material and each having one arm thereof permanently pivotally oonnecte-dto the basket andthe other arm thereof provided with a hook for engagement in a pivot connection carried by the basket. v

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD M. SEIFERT. 

